Structure 121020050003215 · Harris County, TX

IH 45 NB Walkr Ent over Buffalo Bayou

Carries IH 45 NB Walkr Ent over Buffalo Bayou, 0.10 Mi N Of Allen PKWY.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating5/9 · Fair
Superstructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT655 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 5/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

655 ft end to end, longest span 64 ft: about 1.8 football fields. Lengths and the semi-truck on the deck are drawn to the same scale. Each part is colored by its latest inspection rating. The inventory records lengths but not heights or the layout of the shorter spans, so those are drawn as typical for a multi-beam bridge.

Built196264 years old
Length654.9 ft199.6 m
Daily traffic36,165counted 2024
Last inspectedOctober 2024every 12 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyHarris
Location0.10 Mi N Of Allen PKWY
CarriesIH 45 NB Walkr Ent
CrossesBuffalo Bayou
Coordinates29.76191, -95.37193

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length654.9 ft (199.6 m)
Max Span64.0 ft (19.5 m)
Deck Width33.1 ft (10.1 m)
Deck Area2016.0 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1962

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic36,165 (2024)
Truck Traffic7%
Lanes On Bridge2
Lanes Under Bridge4

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionOctober 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 12 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour Critical3 — Scour critical
Structure Number121020050003215

How Bridge Ratings Work

Inspectors rate each major part of a bridge (the deck you drive on, the superstructure of beams that holds it up, and the substructure of piers and abutments beneath) on a 0–9 scale. A bridge's overall condition is its lowest of those ratings, so one deteriorated component makes the whole bridge "poor."

0Failed
1Imminent failure
2Critical
3Serious
4Poor
5Fair
6Satisfactory
7Good
8Very good
9Excellent
Good · lowest component 7–9
Fair · lowest component 5–6
Poor · lowest component 0–4

A poor rating is not a closure. It means the bridge is flagged for priority repair or replacement; bridges judged unsafe are closed or posted with weight limits. The waterway (channel) rating is reported, but it does not count toward the overall classification.

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